Sharifuls Six-Wicket Haul Goes in Vain as Australia Clinch Thrilling One-Wicket Victory

Bangladesh came agonisingly close to pulling off a remarkable win. At one stage, Australia needed just nine runs from 21 balls with five wickets in hand. From that position, however, the hosts sparked hopes of an incredible comeback. Shariful Islam’s fiery spell injected fresh drama into the contest, but Australia eventually held their nerve to secure a thrilling one-wicket victory in the final ODI.

Chasing a target of 275 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday, Australia made a positive start. Stand-in captain Josh Inglis played aggressively from the outset but failed to convert his quick start into a substantial innings. Shariful struck twice in the same over, leaving the visitors under pressure.

Australia recovered from that setback through opener Cooper Connolly, who anchored the chase brilliantly. Supported by Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne in the middle order, Connolly kept the scoreboard moving and maintained pressure on the Bangladeshi bowlers. Gradually taking control of the chase, he went on to complete a well-crafted century.

Just when the match appeared to be slipping away from Bangladesh, Shariful brought his side back into contention. The left-arm pacer claimed three crucial wickets late in the innings to revive the contest. Later, Mustafizur Rahman bowled Connolly, taking the game to a dramatic finish.

Australia required three runs in the final over, while Bangladesh needed one wicket. In a tense finish during Taskin Ahmed’s over, the visitors managed to cross the line with one wicket to spare, reaching the target in 49.3 overs with nine wickets down. The result saw Australia conclude the three-match ODI series with a 2-1 margin.

Earlier, Bangladesh endured a shaky start with the bat, losing both openers cheaply. Stand-in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto attempted to rebuild the innings but could not produce a significant score. The recovery began through a 95-run fourth-wicket partnership between Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy. Hridoy then added another important stand with Mosaddek Hossain Saikat to steer Bangladesh towards a competitive total.

Although Hridoy fell for an impressive 83, he played a key role in Bangladesh’s fightback. Litton remained unbeaten on 58, while Mosaddek finished unbeaten on 56. Their responsible batting efforts helped Bangladesh post 274 for 5 in 50 overs. In reply, Australia successfully chased down the target thanks largely to Connolly’s century. Despite ending on the losing side, Shariful Islam emerged as one of the standout performers of the match with a career-best six-wicket haul, including his first five-wicket achievement in ODI cricket.